If you take fifteen seconds to look at social media these days, you’ll see wild predictions of doom and gloom, of hundreds of thousands of people dying in the street without healthcare. You’ll hear people saying Senator John McCain betrayed them by voting to take away their healthcare.

The truth is, none of this is 100% true, but the click bait headlines sure work well to draw in political activists. Let’s examine the complexities of the healthcare debate, what it means for your Medicare and Medicaid, and how an elder law attorney can help keep you stable.

The Healthcare Debate

The healthcare debate is incredibly complex, and the government’s failure to take action isn’t a sign of ineptitude, nor is it necessarily a sign of disaster for people. However, the future is certainly murky and there is all manner of rules of procedure and complexities to hammer out. It could be a very long time before we see movement either way.

What the Current Vote Means

This week there was a big vote in the Senate which sent a firestorm through social media. When Senator McCain returned for this vote, and it passed, people insisted it meant the end of health care as we knew it. In fact, all the vote was, was an agreement to continue the debate. This is actually a positive thing. It puts health care on the floor of the Senate and requires our senators to actually hammer out an agreement.

It was not a vote to overhaul health care, nor was it a vote to accept or reject any specific bill. That came later when repeal (both total and partial) was overturned and the debate returned to the floor.

Is the ACA an Abject Failure?

The truth is, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is neither an abject failure nor a complete success. It has allowed millions to afford healthcare. It has also forced millions to buy health care for which they can neither afford the premiums, nor which they can afford to use. It’s caused premiums to skyrocket for many people, and fewer people than advertised are actually eligible for subsidies. Those that are eligible, however, are now covered in ways they were not before.

Healthcare is a complicated thing, and getting it right is not as simple as most of us would like to believe. They’re limited by Senate rules of procedure as well, which are complex and tricky. It’s something of a miracle the ACA happened at all, in fact.

The Healthcare Debate, Medicare, and Medicaid

You aren’t out of line in wondering how the current health care debate affects your Medicare and Medicaid. For now, everything remains as it was, and it’s likely that even if a bill passes, it will be several years before anything changes—these things take the time to fully integrate. Your best defense right now is to be educated. Don’t trust what you see on social media. Read articles and click through headlines.

When it comes time to plan for your future, speak with a local and qualified elder law attorney, like those at Stano Law. We can help to make sure your future plans are stable, and that both you and your heirs are cared for. Give us a call to see how we can help today.